Fence-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. HUGHES. FENCE MACHINE.

No. 473,930. Patented May 8, 1892..

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2. E. HUGHES. FENCE MAGHINB.

Patented May 3, 1892.

Edmund Hughes UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND HUGHES, OF COOKPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,930, dated May 3,1892. Application filed April 29, 1889. Renewed October 20, 1891. SerialNo. 409,302. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND HUeHEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cookport, in the county of Indiana and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Fence-Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has relation to fence-machines, and more particularly tothe spacing mechanism, whereby the operator is enabled to uniformly setthe pickets and maintain the same during the operation of Wiring.

The invention also has relation to a tension device for maintaining theseveral strands of wire under a proper tension during the operation ofthe machine.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will be hereinafterexplained, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a fence-machineconstructed in accordance with my invention, the view being taken inrear thereof and the machine being in position to operate. Fig. 2 isafront elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevationof one of the twisters. Fig. 4 is a front perspective of the tensiondevice. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the lower picket-adjustingarm. Fig. 6 in an enlarged detail in longitudinal section of the twistershown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail in perspective of the wrench foroperating the tension device.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

l and 2 represent, respectively, the front and rear end posts of afence, and to the latfor are secured in the usual manner the severalseries of strands of wire 3, between which are inserted the usualpickets 4:. To the front face of the post 1 there is secured by suitablebolts or otherwise a tension or base plate 5, at the upper and lowerends of which are provided bracket-bearings 6, which support a verticaland rotatable shaft 7. At intervals along the shaft are formedbell-shaped or conical perforations 8, said perforations being formed inpairs to accommodate the two wires in this instance composing thestrand. About midway of the shaft 7 is formed a polygonal boss 9, andimmediately below the same and secured to the face of the base-plate 5there is mounted a semicircular perforated adj nsting-plate 10. From anysuitable source of supply the strands of wire 3 are fed through theopenings 8, and through corresponding openings formed in the post 1 andthence to the machine.

11 represents a wrench, one end 12 of which is provided with an ordinarynut-receiving head, and the opposite end 13 is of a form to operate uponthe polygonal boss 9 of the shaft 7. A. pin 14 is formed upon the Wrenchintermediate of the ends of the same, and is in such a position thatwhen the head 13 embraces the boss 9 said pin is adapted to enter one ofthe perforations in the curved adjustable plate 10. From this it will beseen that the wrench, beingin position,is movable to the right or left,which will cause the Wires to bind somewhatin the perforations 8, andthus be fed to the machine under tension, the tension beingpredetermined and maintainable through the medium of the wrench.

15 represents ordinary guy ropes or rods, serving to maintain the post 1against movement.

1 6 representsthe fence-machine frame, upon the rear face of which areprovided a system of spocket-wheels 17, said wheels being journaled upontransverse hollow shafts 18, passing through the machine, which at theiropposite ends carry twisting-heads 19. Upon the front ends of the shafts18, as before stated, are mounted the twisters, and the same consist ofa frame 20, which embraces and is clamped to the end of the shaft 18,and in said frame there are formed inner and outer parallelguide-grooves 19,in which are mounted for sliding opposite plates 21,each provided with an elongated slot 22, through which passes a set-nutand bolt 23, whereby said plates are made adjustable to and from eachother within the frame 20. Perforations 24 are formed near the ends ofthe plates, through which the strands of wire pass to the pickets.

At the operative side of the machine-frame 16 there projects an arm 25,carrying a sprocket 26, mounted in an adjustable slot 27, formed in thearm. This sprocket is provided with an operating handle or crank 28, andover the sameand around the series of sprockets 17 there passes amotion-imparting chain 29. The machine, as thus constructed, is mountedupon a suitable caster 30 or may be otherwise supported.

At the upper end of the machine-frame there projects rearwardly a fixedangular aligning plate 31, and at the lower end of the machine thereprojects a movable springpress guide-plate 32, said plate in thisinstance being journaled in a bracket 33, fixed upon the frame andsupported by an L-shaped lever 84. A spring 35 is connected to the plateand frame and has a tendency to draw said plate upwardly, so that apicket 4, placed upon the spring-plate 32, will be forced up against theplate 31, and in this manner a uniformity of height of the picketsassured, and this by an automatic ordinary adjustment of the same wheninserted.

Projecting from the rear face of the frame 16, and preferably adjustablein said frame, are lateral spacing-bars 36, provided with adjusting-nuts37 at each side of the frame, the rear ends of said space-bars being inthis instance of a Y shape and adapted to receive a picket.

Loosely mounted in openings 38, formed in the frame, are reciprocatingrods 39, one near the lower and one near the upper end of the frame.These rods are connected by a connecting-bar 40, curved between itsends, as at 41, to form a hand-hold. The rods 39 are pro-' vided withshoulders 42 at their rear ends and with ahead 43 at their forward endsand at the opposite or front side of the frame. Between the forward faceof the machine and the head 43 there is mounted a coiled spring 44,which serves to draw the hook end 42 of the rod 39 inwardly against thestop-nuts 39, one of which is threaded upon each of said rods.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Taking the apparatus, asshown in Fig. 1, it is now desirable to insert a new picket. By graspingthe picket-embracing rod 40 at 41 and giving a lateral draw, the hookend 42 of the rods 39 are disengaged with the picket and are connectedto the next succeeding picket. A new picket is now inserted upon theplate 32 and is pressed up in position against the plate 31 and againstthe twists of the wire by meansof the space-bars 36, the hooks 42serving to draw the machine-frame and the spacing-bars toward thenewly-inserted picket, thus pressing said picket snugly Within thedivergent strands of wire prior to a twist being made. By revolving thecrank 28 a sufficient number of times the series of twists will be made,and the operation may then be repeated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In afence-machine, a hollow twistershaft provided at one end with aclampingframe provided with opposite pairs of grooves, in combinationwith sliding plates mounted in the grooves and adapted to overlap in theframe and provided with opposite perforations near their ends and withaligning elongated slots, and a set-screw inserted through said slots,substantially as specified.

2. In a fence-machine, a frame having perforations, in combination withloosely-mounted reciprocating picket-embracing arms provided at eachside of the machine with stops, springs mounted upon the arms betweenthe rear stops and the machine, whereby'the embracing ends of the armsare drawn toward the machine, and a vertical connecting-bar forconnecting the same, substantially as specified.

- 3. In a fencemachine, a tension device consisting of a plateperforated and provided with opposite bearings, a vertical shaft mountedin the plate and adapted to be oscillated and provided with a series ofwire-receiving openings aligning with the perforations of the plate, andmechanism for rotating the shaft and locking the same in any of itspositions, substantially as specified.

4. In a fence machine, a tension device consisting of a base plateprovided with brackets, a vertical shaft provided with wirereceivin-gopenings mounted in the brackets and having a polygonal boss, a curvedadjusting-plate surrounding the shaft, perforated and secured to thebase-plate, and a wrench for embracing the boss and provided with adepending tooth to engage said adjusting-plate, substantially asspecified.

5. The combination, with a fence-post, of a rotatable shaft and meansfor supporting the same located in front of the post, said shaft beingprovided with a series of wire-receivin g openings, means for rotatingthe shaft, and means for locking the same in position, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND HUGHES.

Witnesses:

B. F. WILLIAMS, MAY FLEMING.

